Mudsplash gasped, not hearing anything over the rushing water. She hit a rock, head swirling under the water. For a moment she saw nothing but blackness, but she surfaced again. Turning back, she saw Cougarstar clinging to a branch, getting further away. 

She started to paddle against the current. 

Dawnshadow glanced at Deathnote, "you said something about someone names Tonks before we went past the Bull." she said, somewhat mystefied.

Cougarstar looked up at teh sky for a second. Its her life or mine. She thought, I have lived eight already, and she only has this one. She let go of her branch, letting the current pull her toward her niece. She swam with the current, which pulled her to Mudsplash quickly. She helped push the younger she-cat toward the shore. THe cold was beggining to make her legs go numb and she started to get lightheaded.

Suddenly, she noticed Mudsplash was no longer in the watter. Then just as quickly, she was being pulled from the water.

Eagletalon grunted with the offort of helping Honeywhisker pull both of the soaked she-cat from the river.

"I went to get help." Honeywhisker explained.

Cougarfeather smiled weakly, "thank you Honeywhisker, you have done well." she said quietly. Her breathing was labored. The blackness that had slowly begon to creep across her vision was no longer scary, but welcoming. But she wouldnt give in just yet, there were things to be said, "make sure my son gets home safe." she said. StarClan had told her about the cats that were leaving, "And make sure he knows I love him and Cloudfeather more than anything." she said between deep breaths.

Mudsplash had crawled closer to her leader. Her voice was hoarse, and she was shivering like mad. "N-No," she squeaked. "Y-you c-c-can't leave. I n-need you here." Her eyes were bugging out of her head. "Cougarstar!" She didn't know how long the frail she-cat would last. "We'll get you back to c-c-camp. B-b-b-boneshatter will fix you up just r-r-right." 

~

"Yeah," Deathnote said, fur growing warm as he lied. "Lucky guess."

Wren nodded, padding up to them. "Let us go. I'm sure your friend is uncomfortable."

Elder got up, fluffing out his fur. "I'm coming as well," he meowed. "I may be blind, but I can easily avoid an upset bull." 

Cougarstar shook her head, "no. Its okay young one. Oakfeather is waiting for me. I must go to StarClan now. But I will see you again young leader." she said, closing her teal eyes one last time. With a shudder, her last breath left her.

Eagletalon bowed his head and closed his eyes.

A silent tear slid down Honeywhisker's cheek, "she saved me." she breathed, "its my fault shes gone.

__

Dawnshadow nodded her head, "alright." she said simply, turning back the way she came, but waiting for Elder/Tonks to go first.

Mudsplash felt like curling up and dying. "Three more seconds," she said. "If I'd kept my head up three more seconds she wouldn't have had to jump off the branch. She would have had to save me..."

Then it dawned on her. She was leader now. It was her job to fill in Cougarstar's position.

~

Wren and Tonks led the way out, tails twined as they whispered quietly back and forth to each other. Deathnote only felt slightly uncomfortable. They came to the entrance.

The two elderly cats made it safely past the bull. Deathnote crouched, watching the black beast carefully. He nodded to Dawnshadow. "You first," 

Eagletalon let his tail drape over Mudsplash's shoulders, "we should get her back to the clan." he said quietly.

___

Dawnshadow tensed her muscles, and the instant the bull wasnt paying attention, she dashed past him, dodging his feet carefully and skidding to a halt beside Tonks and Wren, watching for Deathnote.

Deathnote followed, this time more gracefully. The bull didn't notice him. "Alright, Ravenfeather and Tiger are over here," Wren and Tonks followed, and when they approached the pair, Deathnote was startled to find them curled up and asleep.

Ravenfeather sat up, prodding Tiger with one paw. "Who are you?" he asked, bristling as he jumped to his feet. He winced as he moved too suddenly for his ribs to cope with. "Ow..ow.." he eased into a sitting position.

Tiger sat up groggily, "Deathnote? Dawnshadow? Who are these two? And did you get any mice for me?" she asked with a yawn.

Batear tilted her head as she watched Tonks and Wren, waiting for the two of them to explain who they were. Or for Deathnote or Dawnshadow to do it for them.

Deathnote sat down next to Batear and quietly explained who the pair of cats were. 

Wren smiled at Tiger and Ravenfeather. "Hello. I'm Wren, and this is my mate, Tonks. Your friends brought me here to heal a broken rib. Who here is injured?"

Ravenfeather flicked his ears, and said nothing.

"That one," the blind tom chuckled, flicking his tail at Ravenfeather.

~

Mudsplash stood up, nodding gratefully at Eagletalon. "Could you help me?" she asked, biting down on her fallen leader's scruff. 

Eagletalon nodded solemnly, his usaly bubblyness gone. he gently lifted Cougarstar off the ground and started to carry her back tward camp.

Honeywhisker dragged her tail the whole way back to camp. She satdown silently beside her brother at teh enrace, head hanging low.

____

Batear nodded, "are they going to come iwth us?" she asked.

_

Tigerdipped ehr head in greeting, "Yes, Revenfeather is the one who got injured. He slid in the mud and hit a tree on the way here." she explained.

Batear nodded, "alright." was her only reply.

____

Tiger raised one eyebrow, "how could you tell? and What do you mean 'different attitude?' " she asked, wrapping her tail around her paws.

____

Eagletalon nodded, "Do not make a hasty decision though," he said quietly, "Bad things could happen that way." he said.

Tiger smirked, "you can sense my independence, as I can sense you are wise." she said, fluffing up her white fur, "you must have seen a lot in your life Tonks. And thats something we have in common." she said. Tiger had suprised herself. Somehow, she felt a deep respect for the tom, which suprised her. she didnt Usually trust many cats.

___

Shadefang raised his head, "well if its this urgent this late at night, it cant be good."

__

Cloudfeather lifted her head from her nest, why was Mudsplash calling a Clan meeting? Where was her mother? She jumped awake and padded out into the clearing. She froze when she saw her mothers lifeless body, "NO!" she wailed, a sound of pure agony. She ran to her mother's body, tears streaming down here face, "NO!" she yowled louder this time, a breeze seemed to carry the sound away, as if trying to tell her to not be upset.

____

Eagletalon sat at teh base of highrock with his head bowed, waiting for the rest of the clan to arrive.

_

((i cant think of any other charries cept Batear, Dawnshadow, & HOneywhisker. i think i got them all XDD))

Cloudfeather nodded her silver head once in response to Boneshatters words, "h-how." she managed.

Honeywhisker seemed to sink lower to the ground, "It was my fault." she said quietly, "A tree almost fell on top of me, and Cougarstar knocked me out of the way, but we both went into the water. I-i made it out okay..." her voice trailed off, "I'm so sorry."

___

Shadefang felt like he had run into a wall. He froze in his tracks and couldnt even feel his heart beat. After a minute, he realised he was holding his breath.

___

Dawnshadow chuckled, "Ravenfeather? Polite? Yeah, when hedgehogs fly." he teased lightly.

___

"True." Tiger said, "but sometimes, some cats have to be taught the same lesson twice, I know many cats who never seem to learn from their mistakes, so it does take a certain..." she paused for a minute, searching for the right world, "qualities to be able to gain any sort of wisdom, know what I mean?"

___

Eagletalon saw the accusatory look in Darkwing's eyes and fought the urge to cuff the new warrior on the back of the head for even thinking that it was Mudsplash's fault that Cougarstar had died. He knew that Mudsplash could never hurt her aunt.....could she?

Mudsplash stood up again, speaking to the clan, who were now gathered around Cougarstar. Well, most of them, anyways. "The storm," she began quietly. Then, clearing her throat, she continued in a loud, but shaky voice. "The storm brought lightning and floods. We were trying to save what prey we could so the clan wouldn't starve."

There was a pause. "One of the trees toppled over, and instead of leaving Honeywhisker to be crushed, Cougarstar pushed her out of the way. Both were sent into the flooded river." Her voice cracked on Cougarstar's name. "I jumped in after them, dragging Honeywhisker to shore. I lost sight of her..."

The lump in her throat was getting harder and harder to speak around. "When I surfaced, she was behind me. It was cold... I couldn't hold on any longer. She dived back in from the branch she was on to save me. Eagletalon pulled us to shore..."

Mudsplash's eyes lingered on the limp body. "She died to save Honeywhisker and I..."

~

Jadewhisper whimpered, ears flattened to her head. "She's dead," she said quietly. "And half the clan is missing. Oh, Shadefang..." she pressed against him gently. "What's going to happen to us now?"

~

Deathnote snorted, and then laughed with Dawnshadow at Ravenfeather's dark glare. "When are we leaving?" he demanded. "I think I've had enough rest."

He sighed. "We can't leave until everyone is ready... I know I am. Are you guys?" He turned to look at Dawnshadow, and then Batear in turn.

~

"I know what you mean, Tiger," Tonks purred. "Alas, you are not unwise yourself." He stood up, old bones creaking. "Hmmm. It is time Wren and I returned home."

Wren only nodded.

~

Boneshatter shook his head. "No one is to blame," he said. "It would have happened had you been there or not. Starclan has a plan, and once said, it will follow through."

Cloudfeather trembled slightly. Where was her brother? She wished Ravenfeatehr was here to mourn their mother's death with her. But he was gone, along with some other warriors. Cloudfeather curled up into a tiny ball with her nose buried in her mothers fur. She had a flashback to being a kit, curled up in the nursery with her mother, and tears filed her eyes again. She closed them shut and all but closed the world out.

___

"Goodbye Tonks." Tiger purred, "may we meet again someday."

___

Dawnshadow nodded, "I'm ready when you guys are." her eyes sparkled.

Batear smiled, "lets do this." She rose to her paws, ready to start on their journey.

___

"We will be fine." Shadefang said reasuringly, "the warriors will make it back safe, and Mudsplash will know what to do." he said, sounding more confident than he felt.